Has the war on obesity finally made headway in the U.S.? A new report from the Washington, D.C.-based Trust for America's Health and the Princeton, New Jersey-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation offers data that suggests that it has.
Related: Obesity rate hits 30 percent
The two organizations conducted research into obesity rates state by state over the last decade. They report that, in four states, the obesity rate dropped — the first time in the last 10 years any states have reported a decrease.
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The study, "State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America," also notes that the data suggests that the once-alarming rate of increase in the U.S. obesity rate is slowing, which would be another positive sign for American health. While truly turning the tide on obesity will require a concentrated effort in the years ahead, Richard Hamburg, interim president and CEO at the Trust for America's Health, says things are finally looking up.
"These new data suggest that we are making some progress but there's more yet to do. Across the country, we need to fully adopt the high-impact strategies recommended by numerous experts. Improving nutrition and increasing activity in early childhood, making healthy choices easier in people's daily lives and targeting the startling inequities are all key approaches we need to ramp up."
The states that are leading the way: Minnesota, Montana, New York and Ohio. Perhaps just as uplifting, only two states reported an increase between 2014 and 2015: Kansas and Kentucky. For the rest, the rate remained essentially unchanged.
The state with the highest reported obesity rate in 2015 was Louisiana (36 percent), while Colorado reported the lowest at 20 percent.
Trending downward
The evidence that the increases of the past are going to remain in the past comes from data that shows that, in 2005, 49 states reported an increase, compared to the two this year. That trend has been ongoing during the decade. Additionally, the report cites other data that shows that childhood obesity rates have stabilized and are trending downward.
The report cites the following bits of evidence that indicate the U.S. is taking the youth obesity crisis seriously:
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The number of high school students who drink one or more soda a day has dropped by nearly 40 percent since 2007.
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The number of high school students who report playing video or computer games three or more hours a day has increased more than 88 percent since 2003.
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Farm-to-school programs now serve more than 42 percent of schools and 23.6 million children.
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18 states and the District of Columbia require a minimum amount of time that elementary students must participate in physical education; 14 states and the District require a minimum amount for middle schoolers; and six states require a minimum amount for high schoolers.
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Before we get too carried away with the good news, the researchers warn that, while decreases are fine, the rates throughout the state are still way too high.
"While rates remained steady for most states, they are still high across the board. The rates of obesity now exceed 35 percent in four states, are at or above 30 percent in 25 states and are above 20 percent in all states. In 1991, no state had a rate above 20 percent," the report says, dashing cold water on any potential celebration.
The analyses, based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, also produced these findings:
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9 of the 11 states with the highest obesity rates are in the South and 22 of the 25 states with the highest rates of obesity are in the South and Midwest.
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10 of the 12 states with the highest rates of diabetes are in the South.
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American Indian/Alaska natives have an adult obesity rate of 42 percent.
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Adult obesity rates are at or above 40 percent for blacks in 14 states.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
